Barneys' Co-op: From Dreamy to Sleek

Barneys Co-op used to be the most Simon Doonan-iest place in the store—a whimsical retreat from the "serious" shoppers, the place to find trusted favorites like Alexander Wang and Theory alongside lesser known, hard to find brands like Suno and Carven. The walls were brightly colored and witty sayings covered the walls; a sense of fun was woven through the entire department. But now, with Doonan acting as ambassador-at-large and Dennis Freedman exercising creative control over the new Barneys, it's gone in a very different direction.

After just a few months of renovation the store's revealed the first part of their new look, a sleek, sexy Co-op with white washed walls, marble floors and frosted glass. Barneys' CEO Mark Lee told WWD, "Dennis and I felt very strongly that what we needed was a very clean, simple envelope for the product. We really intended it to be something timeless because the envelope contains the greatest brands and designers in the world and it's constantly flowing and changing."

They've also combined men's and women's, and emptied the floor of any "clutter," which means no more flea market vibe. Instead, there's a cafe, Gene's, in between the two sections. Gene's is actually just one long table, where each place is set with a computer screen so you can order your food while shopping online (in case you don't feel like getting up to pay).

The new design reflects the seriousness with which Barneys' approaches Co-op. Lee said, "Co-op is less expensive than luxury designer, but it's not inexpensive. A lot of the most exciting and talented designers working today, like Alexander Wang, are in that space. And it deserves to be treated like a designer floor. It shouldn't be in a casual, contemporary ghetto." And that's one thing Barneys was never in danger of becoming.